by Abbie Carson
News Editor
    “Safety first” and “pedestrians have the right of way” are two common rules of the road, but one would be hard pressed to find these mantras in use in the parking lot at LGHS. For both students and parents, the parking lot wreaks havoc on the efficiency of morning drop-offs, finding available parking, and vacating the

parking lot after school. This environment, fostered by a lack of patience, respect, and common courtesy, creates a parking lot system that is dangerous to drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians alike. 

     The problem is fundamentally caused by a lack of entrances and exits to and from the parking lot, which causes extreme traffic congestion and thus creates a dangerous situation. A lack of common courtesy also contributes to the atrocities committed. 

     For example, when a student drives down a row and finds it full, they are forced to back up because students have parked in the end spots, preventing people from driving around the row. Furthermore, once a student is forced to back up it is difficult to find someone in the long line of gridlocked traffic who is willing to stop and let one enter.

     Also, many parents who drive their children to school either attempt to make a three-point-turn after dropping off their child, or idly wait in the parking lot after school to pick up their child. Both situations further contribute to the lack of room for bicyclists and pedestrians wishing to cross the street. The narrow roads push bicyclists dangerously close to speeding cars and force pedestrians to weave in and out of the  paths of moving vehicles.
   
     The answers to the aforementioned problems do not lie in a single solution. In order to change the  horrendous situation, students, parents, and the administration must work together. The combination of common courtesy, more available parking, and increased monitoring by the administration could greatly alleviate the danger and frustration that the parking lots cause. If more strict punishments were dealt for violating the rules of the road and/or parking in a no-parking zone, perhaps students would behave properly.

     Also, if more parking was made available to students, then the race for the last few parking spots wouldn’t be as dire and students might feel less compelled to park in 90-minute zones, where they run the risk of getting ticketed.

      If parents refrained from trying to make a three-point-turn on Caldwell Ave. after dropping off their children, then the flow of traffic would be faster coming down the hill. 

     These are just a few of the problems that cause our parking lot to be dangerous. Although each of these solutions would require an individual sacrifice in some way, the overall results would undoubtedly benefit  the school as a whole and would decrease the time spent waiting in traffic. Every person needs to make the commitment to make the parking lot more efficient and less hazardous. If people were more patient and willing to take the extra minute to yield to pedestrians, or let someone who is backing up from a row in, or let the cross traffic merge every other car, our parking lot would be a much safer and efficient place